Digestive Disorders Health Center

Tools & Resources

Upper Gastrointestinal (UGI) Series

Guide

How To Prepare continued...

The evening before the test, you may be asked to
take a laxative to help clean out your intestines. If your stomach can't empty
well on its own, you may have a special tube put through your nose and down
into your stomach just before the test begins. A gentle suction on the tube
will drain the stomach contents.

If you are having the small bowel
follow-through after the UGI series, you will need to wait between X-rays. The
entire small bowel follow-through exam takes up to 6 hours, so bring along a
book to read or some other quiet activity.

You may be asked to
sign a consent form.

Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding
the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will
mean. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the
medical test information form(What is a PDF document?).

How It Is Done

A UGI series is usually done in a clinic or the X-ray department of a hospital. You do not need to
stay overnight in the hospital. The test is done by a
radiologist and a radiology technologist.

Before the test

You will need to take off your clothes and put on a hospital gown. You
will need to take out any dentures and take off any jewelry. You may not smoke
or chew gum during the test, since the stomach will respond by making more
gastric juices and this will slow the movement of the barium through the
intestines.

You will lie on your back on an X-ray table. The table
is tilted to bring you to an upright position with the X-ray machine in front
of you. Straps may be used to keep you safely on the table. The technologist
will make sure you are comfortable during changes in table position.

During the test

You will have one X-ray taken before you drink the barium mix. Then you
will take small swallows repeatedly during the series of X-rays that follow.
The radiologist will tell you when and how much to drink. By the end of the
test, you may have swallowed
1 cup (240 mL) to
2.5 cup (600 mL) of the barium
mixture.